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High Water Declaration Remains in Effect

As of Friday, May 30th, the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District’s (LMCD) High Water Declaration for Lake Minnetonka remains in effect. During a High Water Declaration, watercraft operators must adhere to the additional minimum wake restrictions, which are implemented to protect the shoreline and structures along the shoreline. “Minimum wake” means the wake moving out from a watercraft and trailing behind in a widening “V” is of insufficient size to affect other watercraft or to be detrimental to the shoreline. These additional minimum wake restrictions include:

It is unlawful for a person to operate a watercraft in regulated areas of Lake Minnetonka at a speed of more than five miles per hour or a speed that results in more than a minimum wake.

Regulated areas are defined as the surface area of the lake within a distance of 600 feet of the entire shoreline, as well as all of the surface area of a number of bays (see “Minimum Wake Restricted Area Map” herein).

Strict compliance with the above minimum wake restrictions is required for Lake Minnetonka. Enforcement of these restrictions is conducted by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Water Patrol. To report an incident, please feel free to contact the Hennepin County Dispatch Office at (763) 525-6210.

The LMCD staff will continue to monitor lake level readings taken by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD), which is charged with mitigating flooding on Lake Minnetonka and the Minnehaha Creek via operation of the Grays Bay Dam. The lake level reading for May 30th was 930.21 feet. One can view the readings on the front page of their website at www.minnehahacreek.org. When the lake level falls and remains below 930.0 feet for a period of three consecutive days, the Executive Director may take steps to terminate the declaration. That action will be documented within, as well as by press release.

Should you have questions that do not relate to enforcement, please contact the Executive Director Greg Nybeck at 952-745-0789 or gnybeck@lmcd.org.